MIGRATION
Seasonal Migration
To combat the low food source availability in the wintering months of southern South America, Magellanic penguins migrate northwards (Pütz, 2007). Year-round inhabitants of Argentina and the Falkland Islands, these penguins migrate in flocks up to the warm coastlines of Peru and Brazil (Pütz, 2007).
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Depending on geographic locality, migrational
round-trip distance can total to 4000 miles
(6000 kilometers) annually (Pütz, 2007). Their
oceanic treks begin in the latter portion of
March and return around April and May
(García-Borboroglu, 2006).
Anatomical Adaptations
Body structure of Magellanic penguins are suitable for lengthy foraging hours and prolonged distances in the water (García-Borboroglu, 2006). A pelagic species, 75% of their lives are spent navigating the ocean for food and migration (García-Borboroglu, 2006).
With a compact and hydrodynamic body, these penguins have adapted physiologically advantageous features for prolonged swimming distances: long flippers, webbed feet, and specialized eyesight for maneuvering the sea (Pütz, 2007). As aerial birds have hollow bone structure to assist during flight, the pelagic penguin has dense, fused bones to deter buoyancy during swims (García-Borboroglu, 2006).
A Magellanic penguin is capable of being submerged for up to 180 seconds, and may reach a dive depth of 151 feet—while the most extensive depth recorded was approximately 320 feet (Pütz, 2007).
The eyesight of Magellanic penguins is reactive to light availability, thus they will never surpass a particular level of darkness (Pütz, 2007).
Photographer Paul Bradley, 2014
Photographer Pieter Verheij